


Pippa

by Ineffable_Hannigram



Series: Hannibal, Will and Their Journey in Pet Collection [2]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Cats, Dogs, Fluff, M/M, Minor inury detail, Post-Fall (Hannibal), will gets more dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 11:55:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30021414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ineffable_Hannigram/pseuds/Ineffable_Hannigram
Summary: Will begins his new pack while Hannibal is recovering from the fall.
Relationships: Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Series: Hannibal, Will and Their Journey in Pet Collection [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1746721
Kudos: 30





	Pippa

**Author's Note:**

> This is 1 of a 9 part extra series. Post the main fic.

Will had been ‘fully’ recovered for about a week now. He was still aching like hell, but was at least able to walk now. Hannibal had been able to stay awake just long enough to give Will the directions to their new home. Will was stuck wandering from room to room in this too big house with no company except Hannibal’s cats. Hannibal, who is still yet to wake up, was led in bed battling infection with one foot in the grave and healing too slowly in Will’s opinion. Apollo sits outside the bedroom door crying for his master while Artemis continues to sweep at Will’s ankles and just sets out to make his life difficult. He couldn’t blame them though, not really, they are worried for their original carer, and so was Will. Will’s heart feels heavy with guilt. If he hadn’t thrown them off the cliff Hannibal could have had a better chance at healing. But that’s just not how it went. Will is momentarily pulled out of his thoughts when he spots movement at the end of their garden, shifting from behind their shed. Will moves over to the window to the window to get a better look.

At the very end of the garden there is a blonde and white Pit Bull rummaging through their vegetable patch. Will had seen the dog several times before this point. Always taking the same path back and forth from the shed to the vegetable garden. Today, will choses to do something about it. He makes his way upstairs and checks that Hannibal’s door is securely shut to prevent any inquisitive cats from getting in. And then goes back downstairs to throw a pair of shoes on. He should probably grab his gun as it is likely that this dog could be aggressive, but he decides against it. _He hasn’t needed one when collecting strays, and he’s sure as hell not going to begin using one now._

He makes his way down to the dog, careful not to spook it. When he’s close enough to see them clearly, Will just sits down on the grass, legs crossed and watches. It takes the dog a while to spot him but when she does, she pauses. She’s skinny but not malnourished, Will can see that now. With one last look at the pepper, she was in the process of eating she decides that it is inferior and instead walks up to Will slowly; more weary than she is scared. Will holds out a hand when she’s close enough and lets her sniff at it.

“Hello beautiful.” Will whispers in a soft voice. He turns his hand around and gently strokes over the side of her muzzle with his thumb. Almost as if flipping a switch, the dog drops to the floor and rolls onto her back, Will lets out a surprised gasp and begins laughing while rubbing his hands all over her stomach. This is as light as he has felt since the fall, perhaps even longer. The time he had to spend away from Hannibal when either of them were just a bit too close to being discovered before the fall had truly exhausted him. It had been so long since he was in the presence of dogs, he misses their care free nature and the time he and Hannibal had spent lounging around with them. After so long of worrying, it feels nice to focus on something other than Hannibal’s poor health for a moment. They play in the garden for slightly longer but then Will stands and checks his watch. _The cats will be needing their final meal of today. Hannibal would quite literally kill him if he knew that Will forgot to feed his precious pets._

He looks at the house and then back at the dog. Without much thought he calls her to him.

“C’mon, Girl. Let’s head home.” The dog seems to know that means something good and starts bounding around his feet. Will belts out a laugh and takes off running towards the house, the dog following at his heels. It’s just as he’s about to open the door that he pauses. _The cats were okay with his last pack but what if this dog isn’t oaky with them. He can hardly take an animal in the house that could harm the residents already living there._ Will sighs, suddenly at a fork in the road. On the one hand, this could go smoothly and everyone will get on. On the other? Will doesn’t want to think about it… he takes a leap and opens the door, waiting for what’s to come.

But nothing happens, instead the dog takes a cautious step forwards and sniffs at her surroundings. She seems to be taking it all in, seemingly intrigued with this new environment. And then she freezes, staring down the hall in front of them. Will looks up in the direction, wandering what had caught the dog’s eye and sees Apollo sat there. And then he’s running full speed towards them. Will’s breath catches in his throat as he watches Apollo barrel straight into the dog. _The cat had always been way too trusting of others for his own good._ The dog seems to come alive after that and begins excitedly licking over the cat’s head and back, Apollo purring and mewing the whole time. _So, that answers that question. She likes him, she’ll probably like Artemis. And as long as Apollo is happy, Artemis should be as well._

* * *

Once the cats have been fed their usual elaborate meal and the dog has been fed some sort of meat and veg; the best he can do at the moment, Will makes his way to the living room and sits down on the floor with his back against the front of the chair. The dog sat in front of him; her paws had been wiped down as she wasn’t that dirty to begin with. _Probably living in the shed._ She’s a Pit Bull, not that Will particularly cares, he’s never really believed any of the stereotypes that come with the breed. A good dog is a good dog, as easy as that. She isn’t that old either, maybe around a year old?

“What should be call you then? Hope?” The dog makes an odd noise.

“No? Hoooow about Poppy?” Another negative noise.

Will carries out listing names for about twenty minutes and getting the ‘no’ noise each time. And then,

“You’re really fussy y’know? You kind of remind me of my partner.” She makes an offended noise at that and Will laughs.

“Okay, so… How about Pippa?” The dog barks and stands up, tail going ten to the dozen.

Will laughs harder and jumps up with her chanting.

“Pippa! Pippa! Pippa! Come here!” Pippa runs up and jumps at him, and Will grabs her two front paws and does an odd dance.

“It seems that we have a winner then. Doesn’t it, Pippa?” She barks at hearing her new name. They keep playing until Will hears a series of noises from upstairs. A bang and then a strangled gasping scream. Will’s heart stops and without thought he’s sprinting up the stairs, Pippa following soon after. Will disappears into their room, the door closing on Pippa’s face. She sits, almost sensing her new Master’s worry. About twenty minutes later, Will comes out the room and falls against the wall, sliding down to the floor sobbing. His knees are pulled to his chest and he’s got his head in his hands. Pippa whines and shuffles forwards, resting her head on his arm. Will looks up, still crying and sighs.

“I don’t know if he’s going to make it, girl. I really don’t know.” He plants a hand in the dog’s head, stroking and ear. Will doesn’t care that he’s talking about his problem to a dog. It always worked for him in the past and it’s not like there’s any other options. The only other human is in the bedroom he just left, unconscious.

“I can’t lose him, Pippa. I just can’t. I don’t know what I’d be without him.”

* * *

Every day that passes since the day he found Hannibal out cold on the bedroom floor three weeks ago, the same day he found Pippa, he loses a little more hope that Hannibal would wake up. Pippa has been keeping him busy during that time, he has even gone to town to collect toys, food and a large, comfy, new dog bed for her. The door to Hannibal’s room had stayed closed to all animals and Will intended for it to stay like so. That is until around lunch time on a Wednesday Pippa never comes running for her food. Will looks around the house for her and doesn’t find her anywhere. The outer doors are all tightly sealed so there was no way she could get out through those. That only leaves one door unchecked. Their bedroom door. Will feels his heart stop when he thinks of what he’ll find there. Perhaps Pippa got in and knocked something vital keeping Hannibal alive?

When he reaches their door, it is indeed open. Will pushes it wider, only to see Pippa on the bed led besides Hannibal, almost as if she is aware that Hannibal was seriously injured. What draws his attention is the hand stroking down her back. He looks up from Pippa and sees Hannibal propped up against a pile of pillows, smiling softly. Will chokes out a sob and stumbles forwards reaching out for Hannibal and pulling his head to his chest when he’s close enough.

“I fucking thought I lost you. Never do that again, you bastard.” Will cries, leaning forwards to rest his forehead against the top of Hannibal’s. Hannibal raises his arms to tightly wrap around Will’s waist.

“Never.” He replies, accent thick with emotion. They’ve both got tears rolling down their cheeks and Will is carefully rocking them from side to side. Hannibal lifts his head and meets with Will’s eyes.

“Please, lay with me. Not to sleep. Just lie with me.” Hannibal begs.

“Yeah, of course. Always.” Will untangles himself and climbs onto the bed to lie on the other side of Hannibal.

“What is her name?” Hannibal asks tiredly.

Will looks up to see what Hannibal was referring to, and then he remembers the dog.

“I… Pippa. Her name’s Pippa. I had been seeing her a lot recently and I decided to get her the same day you last woke up. She had been eating from the vegetable garden.” Will’s response is sleepy. Hannibal makes an offended noise not dissimilar to the one Pippa had made when Will had compared her to his partner.

“I like the name. I have to ask though, where did she acquire the scarf?”

Will laughs

“It was from one of my old jumpers. I tore it the other day while I was gardening. So, I made her that instead of throwing it out. Besides, it suits her.”

“That it does.”

That was the end of the conversation and after five minutes of comfortable silence, both are asleep, Pippa between them.


End file.
